St Justin’s Primary School acknowledges the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as Australia's First People and Traditional Custodians of the land and waterways on which our school stands.

We pay our respects to the Bunurong people of the Kulin Nation, and their elders past and present, and emerging as we continue to proudly live and learn on their land.

St Justin's Primary School - Celebrating over 40 years of Catholic Education

Dear Families and Friends,

Confirmation

This term our Year 6 students will receive the sacrament of Confirmation. During Confirmation, candidates will be ‘sealed’ with the Holy Spirit. Students will explore people who demonstrate saintly qualities and hopefully gain a greater understanding of the Fruits and Gifts of the Holy Spirit.

To help prepare for Confirmation the students will attend Confirmation Medal Masses on Saturday 8th August or Sunday 9th August.

The Sacrament of Confirmation being held on Thursday 20th August at Good Shepherd Church (only students from St Justin's) 5.30pm. Like anything we do in life, preparation is important. Sacraments are not a "tick" object in life, but rather part of our life journey - a journey shared with God and family.

Please keep our candidates in your prayers as they continue on their faith journey.

Please refer to the Education in Faith page for all date in relation to Confirmation preparation.

Confirmation Workshop Evening

On Thursday night, our Year 6 students attended a Confirmation Workshop Evening alongside a parent or guardian. This session provided a wonderful opportunity for families to deepen their understanding of the Sacrament of Confirmation and to engage in meaningful discussion together.

Thank you to everyone who attended and contributed to the evening. We hope it was a valuable and enriching experience for all our Confirmation candidates and their families. A special thank you to Mrs Snell for running the meeting, Father Andrew for his continued guidance and support and Mrs Wegmann for supporting Mrs Snell while Mr Torpey is away.

Confirmation Research Project Showcases Faith and Creativity

Our Year 6 students have been busy completing their Confirmation Research Project, exploring the lives of the saints and reflecting on the people who inspire them in their faith journey.

Each student selected a Confirmation Saint (or another saint who inspired them) and created a detailed poster highlighting why they chose their saint, the saint's gifts, fruits and qualities, their Feast Day, and how they became a saint. Students also represented their saint's life through a creative visual timeline and imagined what their saint would be like if they were living in today's world.

As part of the project, students wrote a personal prayer inspired by their saint, reflected on the important role of their Confirmation sponsor (or another significant role model), and identified the Gifts and Fruits of the Holy Spirit that they demonstrate. They also shared a family story by recounting a loved one's Confirmation or another Sacrament, helping them make meaningful connections between their own faith journey and their family's traditions.

The completed posters showcased impressive creativity, thoughtful research and personal reflection. We are incredibly proud of the effort students put into presenting their work neatly, using their own words, and demonstrating a deeper understanding of the saints and the Sacrament of Confirmation.

Important Dates

Whilst we have most dates in the calendar, some dates include:

Wednesday 5th August - Fair On the Hill Meeting 7:00 – 8:00pm
Thursday 6th August - Jeans For Genes Day
Thursday 6th August - P&F Sausage Sizzle
Friday 7th August - St Mary MacKillop Mass 9:15 – 10:15am
Saturday 8th August - St Mary MacKillop Feast Day
Saturday 8th August - Year 6 Confirmation Medal Mass 6:30 – 7:30pm
Sunday 9th August - Year 6 Confirmation Medal Mass 10:00 – 11:00am
Sunday 9th August - Year 6 Confirmation Medal Mass 5:00 – 6:00pm

Please refer to Dates Ahead for more dates. Please note that dates do change from time to time.

Mini Vinnies Donations

A heartfelt thank you to the entire St Justin’s community for your incredible generosity in supporting this year’s St Vincent de Paul Winter Appeal. This important initiative was led with passion and enthusiasm by our RE Captains, Social Justice Leaders, and Mini Vinnies Team.

We were delighted to hand over more than 70 bags of groceries to Noel, the President of the SVDP Springvale North Conference. Noel was deeply moved by the kindness shown by our school once again.

A big thank you to our RE Captains, Social Justice Leaders, and Mini Vinnies for their leadership and hard work in coordinating the appeal. And once again, thank you to the St Justin’s community for your generosity and compassion.

With gratitude,

Mrs Leanne Snell

100 Days of Prep Celebration

Congratulations to all our Prep children who celebrated 100 days of learning. On arrival, you could be excused for thinking that we were celebrating Grandparent's Day, for our Preps and teachers had dressed as if they were 100 years old. They enjoyed many acitivies to do with "all things 100." Our Prep students certainly have come such a long way this year.

A huge thank you to Miss Lea, Mrs Loadman and Mrs Interligi and all staff for their amazing efforts so far this year.

Division Girls Soccer

Our Senior Girls’ Soccer Team represented our school with outstanding skill, determination and sportsmanship at today’s Division Finals. The girls were undefeated throughout the tournament, not conceding a single goal until the Grand Final. In a heartbreaking finish, they were narrowly defeated 1–0 by a goal scored in the dying seconds of the match—the only goal they conceded all day. Every player should be incredibly proud of their efforts, teamwork and resilience.

They played an exciting brand of soccer, supported one another throughout the tournament and displayed exemplary sportsmanship both in victory and defeat.

Congratulations to our talented team on an exceptional achievement and a day they should all be proud of.

Thank you to Mrs D'Angelo, the parents who helped with coaching and all the parents who came along to support the team!

Division Boys Soccer

Congratulations to our senior Boys Soccer Team on winning the Division Finals today! The boys displayed outstanding teamwork, determination and resilience throughout the tournament. The grand final was an exciting contest that was decided by a dramatic penalty shootout, with our team holding their nerve to secure the win. The boys represented the St Justin’s community with pride, demonstrating excellent sportsmanship and respect throughout the day. A special thank you to Coach Adam for his dedication and support in preparing the team for today’s finals. Well done, boys—we are incredibly proud of you!

Thank you once again to Mrs D'Angelo and the many parents who braved the cold, wet and windy condiotions to support the boys!

Division T-Ball Boys

Congratulations to our Senior T-Ball team on their fantastic performance at the Division Finals. The boys proudly represented the St Justin’s community with determination, teamwork and outstanding sportsmanship throughout the day.

The team improved with every game, growing in confidence and working together brilliantly as the competition progressed. Their persistence and positive attitude were rewarded with an impressive 4th place finish in a strong field of eight schools.

We are incredibly proud of the way the boys represented our school, supporting one another and demonstrating resilience, respect and encouragement both on and off the field.

Well done to all the players on a wonderful achievement! Another BIG thamk you to Mrs D'Angelo for coaching and supporting the team!

Book Week Parade – Friday 28th August

We are looking forward to celebrating Book Week 2026 with this year's theme, A Symphony of Stories.

Students are invited to come dressed as their favourite book character for our annual Book Week Parade, which will begin at 9:00 am on Friday 28th August.

This year's theme celebrates the wonderful variety of stories that inspire us, so we encourage students to get creative with their costume choices. Whether they choose a classic storybook character, a magical hero, a curious explorer or a much-loved favourite, we can't wait to see their imagination on display!

Costumes do not need to be expensive or elaborate, homemade costumes are often the most creative. We also encourage families to think beyond sporting uniforms such as soccer, football or netball outfits, unless they represent a character from a book. Book Week is a wonderful opportunity for students to celebrate their love of reading and showcase the incredible characters found in literature.

Parents and carers are warmly invited to join us for the parade and celebrate this special event with our students.

We look forward to another fantastic Book Week filled with creativity, imagination and a shared love of books!

Reminder - Jeans for Genes Day

On Thursday 6 August, St Justin’s will be supporting Jeans for Genes Day.

Students are invited to wear their jeans or denim clothing to school and bring a $2 gold coin donation. All money raised will help support vital research into genetic diseases and conditions that affect children.

Jeans for Genes Day is a wonderful opportunity for our school community to help make a difference in the lives of children and families.

We look forward to seeing everyone dressed in denim!

REMINDER: P&F Sausage Sizzle

The P&F are holding a sausage sizzle lunch day on Thursday 6th August.

All profits go to support the FOTH to keep wristband prices affordable for the Fair.

Orders can only be accepted on Trybooking and the order cutoff is:

Monday 3rd August - 3:00pm

Place your orders via this link: https://www.trybooking.com/DOHIW

PLEASE NOTE: No late orders or refunds will be accepted.

2027 Prep Enrolments

If you have a child starting Prep in 2027, please be sure to continue to check your emails for updated information and for any outstanding items that may need to be sent to the office.

We are looking forward to seeing all the children and their parents as part of our Prep Transition program throughout Term 4.

Dates for these are as follows:

Thurs 22nd October 2026 - 7:30pm - 9:30pm - Information Evening (Parents only)
Thurs 5th November 2026 - 9:15am – 10:45am - Transition Session 1 (Students)
Thurs 12th November 2026 - 9:15am - 10:15am - Transition Session 2 (Students)
Friday 27th November 2026 - 9:15am-10:15am - Transition Session 3 (Students)
Friday 4th December 2026 - 9:15am-12:00 noon - Prep 2027 Students Orientation
Tuesday 2nd March 2027 - 7:30pm - 8:30pm - Managing Big Feelings Webinar

Privacy policy, students and parent updated

Our Anaphylaxis Management Policy has changed.

The updated documents are available on the MACS policies webpage in the ‘Governance’ tab.

Fair on the Hill

Our Fair on the Hill will be held on Saturday 7th November 2026 (the weekend after the Melbourne Cup - lock it in).

Over the holidays, you might like to:

clean out and/or collect any books or toys
keep an eye out for blocks of chocoloates
get ready for the lucky jar donation

We are also on the lookout for acts to perform on stage at our fair. Possibilities might include dancing, calisthenics, martial arts demonstrations or any of the outside groups that our community are part of. We also have a few parents who are keen to present 405 songs, but they need support - if you or anyone you know is interested, please let Mr T know. Solo acts welcome.

For all expressions of interest, please contact Mr Torpey / Fr Andrew

As always, thank you for your ongoing support.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Leanne

Mrs Leanne Snell

Deputy Principal

Student Wellbeing News MHiPs- Mental Health in Primary Schools